Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dispenser, particularly though not exclusively for dispensing aerosol or powder borne medicaments.
Description of the Related Art
In my prior International Patent Application, PCT/GB98/00770, at least as amended on entry in the European Regional Phase, there is described and claimed:
A dispenser for a gaseous, gas borne or droplet substance, the dispenser including:                a body having a mouthpiece with an inhalation/insufflation orifice at its end;        a junction in the body for a source of gas or evaporable liquid comprising or containing the said substance (the source being carried by the body); and        a breath actuatable valve, for controlling the release of said gas or liquid, comprising:        a valve inlet connected to the junction;        a valve outlet;        a flexible tube extending from the junction, between the inlet and the outlet, for receiving the said gas or liquid, the tube having a portion which is movable between a closed position in which the tube is kinked for closure of the valve and an open position in which the tube is un-kinked for opening of the valve; and        a movable member, for moving the movable portion of the tube to control its kinking, and being movably mounted in the body for movement by the act of inhalation from a rest position towards the orifice—or at least in the direction of air flow through the dispenser;        the tube being kinked to an obturating extent when the movable member is in a rest position and un-kinked when the movable member is moved on inhalation for release of the gas or liquid.        
Such a dispenser can loosely be classed as a breath actuated, kink valve dispenser and is referred to herein as “My Earlier Breath Actuated, Kink Valve Dispenser”.
The main embodiments of My Earlier Breath Actuated, Kink Valve Dispenser included a piston acted on by a differential breath induced pressure. The resultant, force generated is generally sufficient to operate the dispenser by drawing the piston towards the dispenser's mouthpiece and extending and opening the kink valve. Nevertheless, I felt that the dispenser is susceptible of improvement. In particular, in my British Patent Application published under No. 2,381,461 on 7 May 2003, 1 described and claimed: a dispenser for a gaseous, gas borne or droplet substance contained in a source thereof, the dispenser including:                a body with a mouthpiece;        a junction member in the body for the substance source; and        a breath actuatable valve, for controlling the release of the gas or liquid containing or comprising the substance, the valve comprising:        a flexible tube for receiving the said gas or liquid, the tube extending from a valve inlet connected to the junction member and having a portion which is kinkable for closure of the valve and movable to an open position in Which the tube is un-kinked for opening of the valve; and        a member arranged for movement in the body by inhalation to un-kink the valve;        the tube being kinked to an obturating extent when the movable member is in a ready position and un-kinked when the movable member is moved on inhalation for release of the gas or liquid; wherein:        the movable member is or includes a flap arranged in the body for action of breath on it on inhalation;        the junction member, the flexible tube and the movable flap are a single injection moulding of plastics material; and        the movable flap is pivotally connected to the junction member.        
This dispenser is referred to herein as “My First Production Breath Actuated, Kink Valve Dispenser”. It is proving successful, particularly in combination with the “Unification Feature” of the dispenser described in and claimed in my British Patent Application published under No. 2,401,321 on 10 Nov. 2004, namely that of a dispenser for a gaseous, gas borne or droplet substance contained in a source thereof, the dispenser comprising:                a substance source having:        an external surface devoid of any feature intended for longitudinal location of the source and        a spout displaceable inwards of the source to a dispense position for dispensing a substance dose from the source;        a body having:        a mouthpiece via which the substance dose can be inhaled and        a socket sized for lateral location of the source via its external surface, but devoid of any body feature intended for longitudinal location thereof;        a junction member for the spout, the junction member being arranged in the body to be slidable to a set position for displacing the spout to its dispense position;        an action for slidably loving the junction member to the set position; and        a unification of the source or a source locator to the body for locating the source longitudinally with the spout in its dispense position when the junction member is in its set position, the locator where provided extending from the body, outside the source and at least partially across the end of the source to provide a longitudinal location for the source, locating it when the movable junction member acts to depress the spout inwards of the source.        
The unification enables tolerances in the source, particular its overall length from the end of the spout to the opposite end of its container, to be taken account of.